Theodoee c



(No Model.)

T. O. MERZ.

v BOTTLE STUPPBR.

Patented July-6, 1886.

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Miran" STATES 'ATENT tries.

THEODORE O. MERZ, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO PAUL PLESSNER, OF SAME PLACE.

BOTTLE-STOPPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 345,249, dated July 6, 1886.

Application filed December 1-2,- 1885. Serial No. 185,502.

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THEODORE C. MERZ, a citizen of the United States,residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bottle-Stoppers; and I do declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a 'part of this specification.

The object of my present invention in hottle-stoppers is to provide a cheap and durable means for instantly closing or opening the mouth of a bottle, one that will be air tight when closed, and may be used as often as the bottle is filled; and myinvention consistsin the general arrangement of parts, as hereinafter set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure l is a side elevation of my invention attached to the neck of the bottle, having the bail-wire 9 broken away at a to show locked position of the locking-lever 2. Fig. 2 is a perspective of same, showing parts unlocked. Figs. 3, 4., and 5 are detail views.

In the drawings,B is he bottle; a, the usual wire encircling the neck of the bottle, having eyelets 6 formed on diametrically opposite sides.

E is the bail,having arms 9 g with inwardlyprojecting ends a The bail is arched at the upper end, and has a loop handle or lever, h, formed integral therewith and extending outward at right angles to the arms 9 g, as clearly shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 5.

O is a metal cap, and D is a T-shaped lug attached to the upper center of said cap, or said lug may be formed integral therewith.

R is arubber or flexible disk, attached to the under face of the metal cap D, and when in position, as in Figs. 1 and 2, fits within and over the mouth of the bottle.

The lug D of the cap 0 has on opposite sides a slanting ledge or stop, 8. (See Figs. 1,2, and

5o 3.) Passing horizontally through the body of (No model.)

the lug D, at one side of thestops s s,is a hole,

t, forming a journal-bearing for the horizontal portion of the U-shaped locking-lever z. The free or upperends of this lever are provided with eyelet-s a a, which are formed around the 5 horizontal portion of the bail, having the handle h of said baillocated between them,whereby lateral movement of the locking-lever z and cap 0 is prevented, and the cap and flexible covering or stopper held in a direct line over the mouth of the bottle when looking it. The pivots a a of the bail are sprunginto the eyelets e e of the wire it, and swing on said 7 points, which is common.

The holet, through thelugD of the cap, and

the eyelets e c are in a direct vertical line with each other. The ledges or stops '8 s of the cap or lug D are at one side of the center, as as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3.

The lug D is made sufficiently wide to prevent any lateral movement of the locking-lever 2.

The operations is as follows: The cap 0 being in the dotted position of Fig. 1,to close the bottle the handle his grasped by the hand, 7 the bail E is swung up, as shown in Fig. 2, carrying the cap over the mouth of the bottle, when the handle it is depressed, as shown in Fig. 1, causing the bail E to pass the vertical center on dotted line of Fig. 1, when the arms t iof the locking-lever strike the ledges or stops 8 sof the cap, thus holding the cap in a locked position. The device may be unlocked by simply lifting the handle it over from the position of Fig. 1 to that of Fig. 2.

The locking-lever arms are made sufficiently long, so that when passing the vertical center with the bail E they will press firmly down upon the cap.

Having thus fully set forth my present invention,what Iclaim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In combination with the bottle, the wire encircling the neck thereof, the bail pivotally attached thereto having the handle formed 5 integral therewith, the cap, its lug having ledges 01' stops 8 s, the locking-lever journaled in-said lug, and having its free ends coiled around the bail, substantially as specified.

2. In combination with the bottle, the bail 10o E, pivotally attached thereto, the handle h, In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in formed integral with said bail, the metal cap, presence of two Witnsses. the rubber or flexible stopper, the lugD with its stops 88, the locking U-shaped lever pivo- THEODORE C. MERZ. 5 ted to said lug and having its free ends coiled round the baihthe arms of said locking-lever Witnesses: being adapted to meet the stops .9 s, as and for R. B. WHEELER, the purposes specified. B. F. WHEELER. 

